In the early 70s, one AMC engineer had a wild concept: what if a passenger automobile may be pushed freely over gentle off-road terrains? Energized by his idea, he shortly put collectively an AMC Hornet with Jeep’s four-wheel-drive system. The outcome got here out eight years later, in 1980, because the AMC Eagle, the elusive ‘what kind of car is this?’ new breed of car that laid the trail for a biblical flood of quirky automobiles.
But earlier than 1980, there weren’t practically as a lot of them as at the moment. There weren’t any in any respect – at the very least, not in mass-produced type. Enter American Motors Corporation’s Eagle 4×4 – a raised passenger automobile with a four-wheel-drive system. At the second, AMC was the proprietor of Jeep, which translated into profound expertise with, experience in, and accessibility of full-traction methods.
AMC had shelved the concept in 1972 due to Jeep’s noisy and crudely shaky Quadra-Drive know-how. A number of years later, following the power disaster of 1973, the concept was introduced again from the archives. Armed with a brand new switch case that supplied much better efficiency and silent operation, the Eagle was penned.
Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile
The automobile was launched for the 1980 mannequin 12 months, and it got here in three physique types – station wagon, four-door, and two-door sedan. The wagon was the favored selection, with almost 26,000 models constructed, whereas the sedans registered practically equal market shares, with 9,956 four-doors and 10,616 smaller-bodied cousins.
The Eagle flew till 1988, with the station wagon and the four-door sedan having the longest-lasting manufacturing runs. The large money maker was the all-purpose wagon, with over 113,000 assembled in a nine-year single-generation iteration.
On the opposite hand, the four-door household sedan grossed solely 1 / 4 of the best-sellers, with 27,501 automobiles. None of the automobile’s yearly manufacturing figures managed to leap over the ten,000 milestone, with the inaugural 12 months being probably the most spectacular.
Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile
Despite year-to-year roller-coasting gross sales figures, AMC stored it in manufacturing till 1987. Like most issues AMC, the Eagle was a grasp show of engineering ingenuity, advertising and marketing expertise, and resourcefulness. It was making use of as many elements bin parts as technologically possible. But, as normal, the general outcome was distinctive, and that was the corporate’s forte.
Following the debut 12 months’s promising gross sales figures – 46,379 – AMC launched three extra physique types for 1981 – the sporty SX/4, the Kammback, and the Sundancer. Unfortunately, the power crunch got here again with a vengeance, and patrons dropped their allegiance to American Motors. Sales nosedived some 10,000 models in comparison with 1980, and the pattern continued for 1982.
For 1983, the company decreased its Eagle provide to 3 physique types – the workhorse station wagon, the two-door hatchback SX/4, and the fluctuating four-door sedan. One of the latter is introduced within the hooked up video – and a surprisingly well-preserved survivor, if we take the proprietor’s phrase for it.
The young man – undoubtedly younger than his four-decade-old 4×4 – purchased the automobile as a each day driver in 2019. He doesn’t inform us what he paid for it, however the asking value on Craigslist was $5,700. For a 75,000-mile (slightly below 121,000 km) uncommon AMC in surprisingly good situation, not a foul value.
The automobile has AMC’s trusted 4.2-liter straight-six and the aforementioned four-wheel ‘Select Drive’ system. A diagram within the gallery reveals how the switch case labored, however from a driver’s standpoint, it was a one-button-switch deal. On the left-hand aspect of the dashboard sits the 2WD-4WD selector. Simply flip it from left to proper – with the automobile stationary – and drive over snow, mud, rocks, and whatnot.
AMC used this biased traction characteristic as advertising and marketing bait, stating their Eagle as a full-time four-wheel drive with an choice for a two-wheel-drive financial system mode. Officially, the Eagle may snatch a 32-mpg freeway excessive water (or gasoline?) mark when geared up with the smaller engine and a five-speed guide gearbox. That can be about 7.5 liters per 100 km, whereas the automated was the least pocket-caring model, with a 28 mpg rating (8.4 l/100 km).
Photo: autoweek.com
This automobile’s earlier proprietor made claims of a 24-mph freeway gas consumption greatest efficiency for this specific automobile (9.8 liters per 100 kilometers). The engine and drivetrain on this specific machine are holding on remarkably nicely, similar to the remainder of the automobile – the present proprietor added some 4,000 (6,500 km) miles with out trouble.
To be honest, the inline-six runs unbelievably easy and quiet – hear it within the video – for a automobile designed to beat the seven Ws (once more, discover the reason within the gallery). It was an all-terrain, all-time, all-budget-friendly All-American automobile.
Car nerds who witnessed firsthand the primary coming of the four-wheel-drive Eagle keep in mind among the quirks of the AMC Eagle – just like the plastic valve cowl and timing chain cowl. The instance featured on this article has a day-two steel cowl over the straight-six’s valves – an affordable, frequent follow as a result of availability of matching AMC elements.
Photo: YouTube/Lou Costabile
When new, the automobile had a five-year physique corrosion-induced perforation guarantee from the manufacturing unit and a 12-month, 12,000-mile / 20,000-km full guarantee. The 258 cubic-inch (4.2-liter) was advisable for towing a trailer with the three,200-lb Eagle (1.5 tons). The two-barrel engine produced solely 110 horsepower (keep in mind, these are SAE internet rankings) and 210 lb-ft of torque.
That’s 112 PS and 285 Nm. By 1983 requirements, that was a critical efficiency from a household automobile with a switch case between the engine and rear axle. Which, by the way in which, was a 2.35:1 or a 3.08:1 selection for the six-cylinder three-speed TorqueFlite computerized transmission, to seek advice from our hero’s case. Other powertrain choices have been 2.5-liter (151 cubic-inch) four-cylinder and four- and five-speed manuals, backed by 3.54 or 2.73 rears.
Since this automobile is an orphan, seeing it on the road is a once-in-a-blue-moon deal with, all of the extra so concerning a survivor in glorious situation. Odd, trend-setting, half-breed, poor man’s Jeep, known as what have you ever. The AMC Eagle is a sight to behold, standing tall above its era’s different makes and fashions.
